CHARLOTTE, N.C. – As he has sought a future that will entail definitively wearing an NBA uniform, Quinn Cook has familiarized himself with a routine that does not just involve perfecting his shooting stroke, pick-and-roll execution or defensive rotations.

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When Cook watches the Warriors’ games on television, he has already packed a bag in case he needs to join them after spending most of his time this season with the team’s G-League affiliate in Santa Cruz. So when Warriors guard Stephen Curry rolled his right ankle and Warriors guard Patrick McCaw suffered a nose contusion in Monday’s game in New Orleans, Cook already anticipated needing to leave from Santa Cruz to Charlotte before the Warriors even informed him.

So, Cook was already prepared to take an early Tuesday morning flight to Charlotte to join the Warriors later that evening. Nearly 24 hours later, Cook showed he was just as prepared with starting in Curry’s place in the Warriors’ 101-87 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. Cook finished with eight points on 3-of-7 shooting and three assists in 22 minutes, 24 seconds.

Warriors forward Kevin Durant said he has thought the same thing after growing up with Cook as childhood friends in Washington D.C. Durant has seen Cook mix the right ingredients with his work ethic, shooting and familiarity with pick-and-roll coverages through four seasons at Duke and through a combined 14 games last season in New Orleans and Dallas. So after averaging 25.1 points, 8.4 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game with the Warriors’ G-League team in Santa Cruz, the 6-foot-2, 184-pound Cook said he felt comfortable in his first NBA start “as soon as I touched the ball.”

(Read Logan Murdock’s story on Cook and his journey across the G-League right here.)

Kerr was also comfortable giving Cook that responsibility because of his play and his hope to limit minutes for veteran guard Shaun Livingston off the bench. Though he missed his first two shots and committed an early turnover, Cook quickly showed why Durant argued that “he plays like a vet.” After running a similar offense under Santa Cruz coach Aaron Miles, Cook appeared comfortable on the Warriors with finding his shot, running the offense and going up against Hornets guard Kemba Walker.

“My teammates and my coaches did a good job of keeping me even keel all day,” Cook said. “Just treated it like another regular game.”

It was not just another game, though. Cook’s first NBA start happened nearly 80 miles away from Duke, with his family members in attendance, including his mom, sister and God father. Cook also started with Durant, leading him to predict countless friends watched the game on television live or recorded on DVR.

“I saw a lot of familiar faces in the crowd. It was a great, great, great feeling for me,” Cook said before gushing about starting with Durant. “It’s surreal we’re both starting on an NBA team. I couldn’t have dreamed it any better.”

Neither could Durant.

“It was a dream come true,” Durant said. “It was a proud moment for everyone in PG County, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. We’re out here on the biggest stage representing them. To do it with my brother, Quinn, felt great.”

Cook did not become overwhelmed with nerves or nostalgia, though, for a few reasons.

Shortly after the undrafted guard signed a two-way contract with the Warriors that would entail spending lots of his time in the G-League, Cook talked with Kerr and Warriors general manager Bob Myers about the unpredictable nature of his role. Cook’s teammates talked about topics other than basketball. Before tipoff, those same teammates expressed confidence in Cook’s game.

“That did a lot for my confidence,” Cook said.

It also did a lot for the Warriors’ validation in investing in him on a two-way contract.

“We have a lot of synergy between the franchises,” Kerr said of the Warriors and their G-League affiliate in Santa Cruz. “We run the same stuff, so Quinn knows all of the plays. It’s an important addition to our franchise in really developing the relationship between the two franchises, and being able to shuttle guys back and forth if we have to. Quinn is a really good guy for that role.”

Feeling remorse

After having three days to calm his frustrations, Livingston sounded contrite. He served a one-game suspension on Monday against New Orleans without pay. Meanwhile, official Courtney Kirkland received a one-week suspension. The NBA called the incident “an on-court altercation” during the Warriors’ game on Sunday in Miami that led to Livingston’s ejection.

“It wasn’t something I was proud of,” Livingston told Bay Area News Group. “But at the end of the day, they made the ruling. We deal with it and move forward.”

Livingston did not take solace that the NBA punished Kirkland and determined he “moved toward” Livingston and “shared responsibility for the contact that occurred.” The two bumped heads before Kirkland gave Livingston a technical foul and immediately ejected him.

“It was clear it wasn’t just me,” Livingston said. “But at the same time, I wasn’t solely trying to point the finger. I was trying to look at myself and what I could’ve done better.”

Expressing sympathy

Kerr could feel the pain and frustration that Hornets coach Steve Clifford is likely experiencing. The Hornets announced that Clifford would be out indefinitely because of an undisclosed health issue.

Kerr could relate after missing 43 games in the 2015-16 season and nine playoff games in the 2016-17 season because of complications from back surgery in the 2015 offseason.

“It sucks. It does. On many levels,” Kerr said. “It hurts not to be there with your team. It hurts, from a selfish standpoint, not to do what you love and not be able to do what you love. Most importantly, it just sucks that you’re not healthy. Everybody just wants to wake up and feel good everyday. So I feel for Steve. I’m thinking about him.”

So did Kerr’s coaching staff.

“I want to send him my best wishes,” Kerr said. “Obviously I’ve been in his shoes. I don’t know what his health issues are. But it’s no fun. I’m wishing him well, and I hope he gets healthy and is back on the sidelines soon. More importantly that he’s healthy.”

Swaggy 3’s

The Warriors have become entertained with Curry and Klay Thompson proving there is no such thing as an impossible shot. Yet, the Warriors’ bench appeared more entertained over Nick Young posting 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting in 20 minutes against Charlotte.

“It’s weird. He shoots some tough ones, and we don’t care,” Durant said. “We want him to shoot anytime he touches it. We love when he gets excited. We love when he knocks down shots. His energy goes through the whole team.”

Young nailed back-to-back 3-pointers in the first half, as well as a mid-range jumper that gave the Warriors a 89-80 lead with 5:46 left. During those sequences, Kerr observed, “I’m starting to see where he gets his nickname.” That’s because the man that calls himself “Swaggy P” held out three fingers after he made each 3-pointer.

“We love having him on the team,” Kerr said. “He’s giving us a boost. He can make shots anytime, whether he’s playing 20 minutes or five minutes. He’s always a threat. I thought he played really big minutes for us.”

Fond memories

It seemed odd to Hornets associate head coach Stephen Silas that Curry wanted to take a picture with him at Wednesday’s game. Considering Curry has won two NBA championships and two regular-season MVP awards as one of the game’s best shooters, Silas mused that he should have been the one asking Curry to pose for a photo with him.

But that captures Curry, whom Silas said is “so smart, but so down to Earth” when he served as a Warriors assistant coach (2006-10) at the beginning of Curry’s arrival as the team’s No. 7 draft pick in 2009. As much as Curry has stayed the same with his personality, he has evolved with his physique.

“The change he has made with his body is what stuck out to me,” Silas said. “I knew he was going to be a great worker. I knew he was going to be super smart. But remember when he first came in, people weren’t really sure if he was going to be able to be a point guard because of his speed and that sort of thing.”

Silas smiled over the absurdity of those concerns.

“He’s obviously proven people wrong in that. But his strength is really what has changed his game to the point that he was getting knocked off when he was getting to the rim back then,” Silas said. “He had good range. But he didn’t have consistent range because he didn’t have the same strength. The difference I see from then to now is he was the same great person last time he was here.”

Injury update

Warriors center Zaza Pachulia only played 4 minutes, 31 seconds against Charlotte after feeling more soreness in his left shoulder amid getting tangled with Hornets center Dwight Howard. Pachulia’s left shoulder injury also kept him sidelined on Monday in New Orleans. It appears unlikely he will play on Friday in Detroit.

“We only have Andre Drummond on Friday,” Kerr joked. “So Zaza should be fine. That doesn’t pose a problem at all.”

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